National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Reveals New Clues and Facial Reconstruction of Unidentified Victim in Houston Serial Killer Case
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children recently released new reconstruction images and evidence related to an unidentified victim of Houston serial killer Dean Corll. The victim, known as John Doe 1973, was discovered in a Houston boat storage shed on August 9, 1973, alongside several other victims. This young man is the last known victim of Corll who remains unidentified.
The nonprofit organization hopes that the newly released facial sketch and items found with the victim will help in identifying him. The victim, estimated to be between 15 and 18 years old at the time of his death, had been deceased for over a year before his body was discovered. John Doe 1973 could have siblings, cousins, classmates, neighbors, or friends who have always wondered what happened to him, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children remains hopeful that someone recognizes him.
Dean Corll, also known as the Candy Man because of his family’s candy store in Houston’s Heights neighborhood, abducted, tortured, raped, and murdered at least 28 boys and young men between 1970 and 1973. The horrific crimes came to light after Corll was shot and killed by one of his teenage accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley, on August 8, 1973. Henley, along with another accomplice named David Brooks, led the police to the burial sites of the victims. Brooks and Henley were later convicted of murder, with Brooks passing away in 2020 at the age of 65.
Out of all the victims found, John Doe 1973 remains the only one yet to be identified. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, he was a white male with possible Hispanic admixture, approximately 5-foot-2 to 5-7 in height, with brown hair measuring 7 inches long. A postmortem examination revealed that he had a mild case of spina bifida, which may have caused lower back pain or affected his gait.
Alongside the facial reconstruction image, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has collaborated with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences to create digital reconstructions of the items found with the victim. These items include brown leather cowboy boots with the word NEOLITE on the heel, a knotted leather ankle bracelet, dark blue corduroy pants with a 32-inch waist and 30-inch inseam, multi-colored swimming trunks, and a long-sleeved, khaki-colored shirt.
The swimming trunks, branded Catalina, featured vertical dark blue, red, turquoise, and gold stripes, along with a silver buckle depicting golden wings and the letter C in the center. The shirt, reminiscent of the 1970s style, had a large red, white, and blue peace symbol on the back, accompanied by the letters USA. On the peace symbol, in small lettering, was the inscription LBHMF.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children encourages anyone with information regarding the unidentified victim to contact them or the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. They hope that the released imagery and evidence will reach individuals who may have known John Doe 1973 or have information that can help solve this case.
The case of Dean Corll and his teenage accomplices shocked the nation in the 1970s, and despite the passage of fifty years, the search for answers and closure continues. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children remains dedicated to their mission of finding missing children and bringing justice to their families.
